Cheng Shiqin reconfirmed that Lu Mingming was unharmed, then retreated to his original position, resuming his role as guardian.
After Xingyuan gifted that unknown present, all the fluorescent fragments floated and sparkled around Lu Mingming. Each tiny particle returned to the light source, and this star-screen space became pitch-black once more.
Xingyuan, having finished its absorption, visibly grew stronger and shone brighter.
It was like a learning child, hobbling slowly towards Lu Mingming step by step.
During its journey, Xingyuan gradually shrank to the size of a sesame seed, until it disappeared into Lu Mingming's forehead.
She had a gluttonous worm in her mind; how dared it go in directly!
Lu Mingming quickly looked inward at her spiritual sea – Xingyuan was exploring the fresh illusion, preparing to find a suitable place for its nest.
The overbearing silver ball of light had been playing dead, obeying orders and hanging in the sky like a "sun." Now that someone was trying to steal its house, it immediately objected.
Just as Xingyuan found a comfortable spot and hadn't even settled in, a large silver-white mass descended from the sky, directly swallowing it whole and letting out a rather cheeky burp.
In an instant, Lu Mingming could feel Xingyuan's energy within the space rapidly diminishing.
With her back to Cheng Shiqin, Lu Mingming's face changed drastically.
She mentally cried out in despair, "Baby, are you trying to kill me?!"
At that moment, even Cheng Shiqin sensed the surrounding energy tides weakening significantly. He reminded her, "Mingming, are you done? Can you see the path where you are? Should I come pick you up?"
"Done, done, I'll be back right away!"
Lu Mingming, afraid of being discovered, quickly replied, her mind roaring incessantly:
"My dear ancestor, please return Xingyuan to me! The fate of a planet depends on this, how will I compensate?!"
However, the little light ball remained unmoved.
Despite being scolded by its "mother," the little light ball turned a deaf ear. It drowsily patrolled the territory, looking for any "stragglers." Upon confirming no troublemakers, it listlessly returned to its original position.
The round ball, which had just been glowing with silver-white light, crawled up the grey-white surface inch by inch, gradually turning into a simple, unadorned hard bead.
It was so ordinary that no one would buy it for even two star coins on the star net.
"No way, you got hit too."
Lu Mingming murmured.
She composed herself, found her way back to the passage, and acted pitifully in the dim light:
"I succeeded, let's leave quickly, I'm a bit afraid of the dark..."
Fortunately, Cheng Shiqin was honest when dealing with acquaintances.
He didn't harbor any suspicion and quickly escorted Lu Mingming out of the tunnel.
After reporting to Madam Salche, Lu Mingming guiltily pulled Cheng Shiqin along to check on the A class she had taught.
The little ones were much better behaved than before, sitting upright and listening to the teacher on the podium.
Lu Mingming peeked in. A completely unfamiliar teacher stood at the podium, poking Cheng Shiqin next to her.
"Do you know which class teacher Morian from the school often teaches? I saw him during the competition."
Cheng Shiqin's mind went blank: "As far as I know, there is no teacher named Morian in the school."
"Ah?"
Lu Mingming was startled.
Cheng Shiqin immediately realized Lu Mingming had misunderstood and added:
"There's no certified teacher with that name, but... if it's the one from the research institute, they can come as an honorary professor without a certificate."
He found something amiss and was deep in thought, trying to find an answer:
"But as far as I know, Morian is in the laboratory year-round. If he were to substitute, he would notify us in advance."
That should be correct.
Another strange occurrence. It couldn't be that he came specifically for her, could it?
Lu Mingming lowered her gaze, her mind racing with thoughts.
After observing the A-class cubs, she felt relieved. She said goodbye to Cheng Shiqin and left by light cable.
Cheng Shiqin's words, combined with the actions of the little light ball in her spiritual sea, did not lead Lu Mingming back to the hotel.
She chose to take the light cable to the seaside to feel the sea breeze.
The wind stirred the sea surface, raising wave after wave that crashed onto the shore, creating splashes several feet high.
A few sea gull beast-human hybrids sat on seats in the fountain plaza, eating bread, which reminded Lu Mingming of the common scene of feeding seagulls in television dramas.
She curved her lips and gazed into the distance at the sea.
A deafening sound came from afar. Lu Mingming followed the sound and saw a giant ship sailing back from the distance. Heavy clouds pressed down, and the ship itself seemed to want to touch the shore.
Before it even docked, a group of burly men leaped from the giant ship. Each was well-built, with fierce eyes, and some had noticeable scars on their exposed skin.
They walked forward, their imposing presence deterring the vagrants who wanted to take advantage of the situation.
"Get lost, all of you! Lord Singh is here to do business on Xingfu Star today, don't block the way!"
The burly man in the lead, wearing a tank top, roared.
The scars on his body were distinct, especially a large centipede-like scar, which drew the eyes of everyone around.
After waiting for a while, Lu Mingming finally saw a tall, silent beast-human descend from the giant ship.
The man had a slicked-back hairstyle, sharply defined facial features, and his lips were pressed into a thin line, exuding an air of uprightness and a seemingly unshakable composure.
He casually wore a thick, warm mink coat, and his vest accentuated his bulging pectoral muscles. His broad hand held a golden scepter, topped with a fist-sized gem that sparkled under the sunlight.
The man's face was ashen, his calm gaze fixed on the distance, resolute and handsome.
Were those people his subordinates?
Lu Mingming leaned against the plaza railing to continue observing.
In her opinion, these people wore noble attire but exuded a completely different, wild aura.
It was like a child trying on adult clothes, ostentatious and awkward.
After descending from the giant ship, the man found a shaded spot to sit and rest, leaving the rest to his loyal subordinates.
The bald man beckoned, and a group of people behind him immediately carried box after box of goods to the shore.
A slightly bitter scent of leaves wafted across the seaside plaza, with a hint of sweetness if smelled closely.
Unfortunately, mixed with the salty sea breeze, the aroma was uniquely wonderful.
The unloaded seafood was quickly snapped up by merchants and restaurants along the coast.
On the interstellar alliance's land, beast-humans were the primary survival force, but deep-sea fish had not yet fully evolved.
Various types of fish were not popular throughout the galaxy and were the hardest ocean foods to sell. Large quantities of fish remained in the sea, serving as food for whales and sharks. Recently, thanks to Lu Mingming's new dishes, some restaurants dared to collect a few.
The wind blew stronger, carrying a hint of fishiness and saltiness, a characteristic of the seaside.
Lu Mingming pushed aside her scattered hair, revealing her delicate and gentle appearance.
After all the large and small old wooden crates were moved, three clean white wooden boxes remained in place.
"Anyone want these fresh goods? Selling them cheap today. Only 5,000 star coins per box!"
The bald man, holding a megaphone, shouted around.
His words made the onlookers widen their eyes and discuss:
"What are you selling? Why is it so expensive? Are you ripping us off?!"
The bald man chuckled, "These are good things shipped from the elven planet. Guaranteed profitable."
He left one sentence unsaid: if the value of these green leaves hadn't been discovered, he would have certainly lost a fortune, just like now.
"You don't believe me? Look!"
The bald man opened a box, revealing it was filled with green leaves!
The moment the lid was opened, a natural scent of grass and wood wafted out, capturing Lu Mingming's attention.
She craned her neck to look down. Dewdrops from the sea clung to the surface of the tender green shoots. It was unclear how they were preserved, but they were exceptionally fresh.
Taking in this splash of green.
The sea breeze brushed across Lu Mingming's face, bringing her thoughts back to reality.
She took a shortcut and rushed down, shouting, "I want all of those white wooden boxes!"
What incredible luck.
An uncontrollable joy bloomed on Lu Mingming's face.
Hearing Lu Mingming's call, the bald man immediately looked up and met her gaze.
This person... was the fried chicken cutlet streamer from that day?
Both of them thought, in unison: It's a stroke of luck. This streamer/this box of tea, I've finally found you.